adminSure, vegan belts use an alternative material to leather, but that does equally
Good vegan belts don’t look like what you’re probably thinking: cheap, tacky, characterless belts made of plain plastic replicas of leather. To get an actual good vegan belt, you’re going to have to spend some serious cash. If you’ve ever seen a £15 vegan belt and a £50 vegan belt, you’ve seen the quality difference. We’re talking about two extremely different beasts when you look at those two price points. Cheap vegan belts will work in the short to medium term for casual use but for serious, everyday use, they have to be considered substandard.
Cheap belt pu leather, the plastic alternative to leather that is cheaper than you think. High quality pu leather belts will look and feel like leather. High quality pu leather belts will feel a little different than a belt made of real leather but they will look the same. You may be thinking, but what about the tacky shiny plastic pu leather that is stiff and gets little plastic wrinkles and looks cheap. Yes, but that is what cheap pu leather looks like.
I think cork is super cool and I’m glad it’s getting more popular. It’s made from tree bark, and harvesting bark doesn’t kill the tree. It’s not as stiff as leather and has a nice pliable feel to it. It’s a great option for casual belts. Some companies think cork is more durable than PU (polyurethane), but I don’t know that for a fact since I haven’t worn one long enough. My friend has had one for almost a year and it looks nice still.
Then we have the fancy alternatives to leather. Piñatex is made from pineapple leaves which is super cool. Mushroom leather, apple leather, and others are great alternatives. They are made from sustainable materials and are great for the environment. They are, however, super expensive. It’s common to spend £60 to £100 for a belt which is a lot for a belt.
Simple canvas belts are basically indestructible. They are very easy to clean as you can just throw it in the washing machine. They are not formal so you shouldn’t wear them to smart things, but for casual clothing like jeans, they are perfect.
Belt durability
It’s a little complicated here. With enough usage, a good vegan belt should last a few years. But, when buying a belt, “good” is doing a lot of work since there is so much variability for each product.
PU (Polyurethane) degrades. There is no getting around it. Eventually, it will start to peel or crack, typically around the buckle or where it bends. To be fair, leather does this too, but in different ways. Leather will dry out and crack if not taken care of. PU will do this no matter how well cared for it is, it’s just innately how the product is created. More expensive PU products can last longer. For example, my cheap PU belt only lasted around 8 months, and my expensive belt is still looking good after 18 months.
I’ve found cork to seem to hold up a little better. I’d imagine the plant-based products hold up well too, although I haven’t spent the money to test them as they are quite expensive. It is difficult to justify buying one when there is uncertainty that it will last significantly longer than a £30 PU product.
The buckle is as important as the rest of the belt. Some solid metal buckles will survive greater lengths of time than most belt materials. Cheaper, plastic buckles break, bend, and snap. Oh, and speaking from experience, it is hella annoying when the belt is perfectly fine, but the buckle is broken.
What to look for when buying one
For a belt, overall thickness is a measure of importance. An overall thickness that is too thin, means it either won’t survive the wear and tear of holding your trousers up , or, it won’t survive the wear and tear of day to day use. Aim for a thickness of at least 3-4 mm for day to day use. You will want greater thickness for holding up jeans or trousers that have a higher density fabric than average.
This belt will ultimately have to survive a lot of wear and tear, so look at the stitching. There should be tight, even stitching with no gaps. If the stitching on one side is wonky and loose, it means that the stitches are not closed in the rest of the belt, so just don’t even bother buying it. To top it all off, bend the belt in the shop. If the good quality PU has not broken it and shown white stress marks, well, it will be worse after a few wears.
Taking reviews into consideration is helpful, but you shouldn’t take them too seriously. Some customers get disappointed when vegan products don’t feel like leather, while others don’t even care and give them 5 stars just because the product doesn’t use animal products. This is exactly why you have to look for reviews that show experience, and not just try-on reviews.
It is also helpful to look for brands that focus exclusively on vegan products. This is better than finding brands that just do an animal-free alternative because, in general, they get it right.
Also, on price, you don’t have to go for the cheapest option available, but spending too little is an illusion. You get 6 months of use for a £15 belt and 2 years for a £40 one. The maths is pretty simple, right?
Why leather alternatives have become more appealing
While everyone is going to have a different opinion on the importance of leather alternatives, there is no denying that they have become a more viable option recently. While leather pieces may last longer than cheaper vegan options, the longevity of vegan pieces and their value is still more appealing. Even the best quality leather may only last 10 years. The average consumer’s leather belts may only last 2-3 years. There are better quality vegan options now because more brands are entering the market and better production methods have been developed.
